Transmission mechanism.



No. 806,316. I PATENTED DEG.5,1905. c. E. BERTBLS.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1905.

N r 2 sums-sum 1.

I I l t -W7 @hfiw S y S 7 r 6;. W Z Attorneys 7 'VPATENATEDDEG.5,1'905'. c. B. BBRIBLS. TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED l ['.AY31,.1905.

Attorneys Witnesses PATENT OFFICE.

ES E-" RTEL S'; OFQWILKEsBARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, l l l TR ANS I VIlSSIO NMECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Dec. 5,1905.

A licatim filed May 31, 1906. "serial No. 263,037.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that-I, CHARLES E. 'BERTELS, I a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing atv Wilke'sbarre, in the county of Luzerne and. Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Transmission Mechanism,of which 7 the following is a specification,

This invention relates to the transmission mechanism ofmotor-vehicles,-and has'for its object to improve the constructionandincrease the efficiency of devices ofthis character'and:

provide means whereby the transmission-gearing is temporarilydisconnected 1 from the driven mechanism and also from the mechanism forproducing momentum when the latter is employed during the time thespeed-changing mechanism is in operation to prevent breakage by theaccidental engagement of rapidly-movingparts. i

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature ofthe invention. is? better understood, the same consists incertain novelfeatures of construction, ashereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which come sponding parts are denoted by'likedesignating characters,is illustrated the preferred form of embodiment of the invention capableof carrying the same into practical operation, it'beingunderstood thatthe invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes inthe shape, proportions, andgeneral assemblage of the parts may beresorted to without departing from the principle rificing any of itsadvantages.

In the drawings thus employed,'Figure 1 is a plan view, partially insection, of a portion 1 of the transmission and speed-changing mechanismof a motor-vehicle with the improvement applied. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section on the line 2 20f Fig. 1. v p

In motor-vehicles having speed-changing mechanism as heretoforeconstructed a clutch or like device is disposed between thespeedchanging mechanism-and the motor, and which is actuated todisconnect the motor when the speed-changer is to' be actuated; but thisopening of the clutch does not disconnect the driven mechanism from thespeed-changer. Hencethe momentum caused by the motion of the vehicle isto be considered when the speed-changer isto "be operatedand. oftencauses the breakage of 1 parts by the sudden contact of the speedchangerwith the rapidly-moving parts'of the I of the invention or sacdrivengearing.'- To obviate this objection and 5 provide means whereby thedriven mechanism may be disconnected from the speed-changing mechanismat the same time that the speedchanging mechanism is disconnected fromthe fmotor'is the principal ob ect of the present nventlon, whichconslsts in interposing a suitably-constructed clutch means between thedriven mechanism and the speed changing.

mechanism and provided with means whereby the same may be actuated bythe operator, preferably by the foot.

The invention further consists in connect ing means between the twoclutches above re 'ferred to whereby'they are simultaneously operated.

The clutch may be of any suitable form, but

will preferably be of the friction class, and will generally be locatedbetween the differentialgearing portion of the driven mechanism and thespeed-changing mechanism.

' The improved device may be applied to any ofthe various constructionsof motor-vehicles by making slight and immaterial modifications in someof the parts, but for the purpose of illustration is shown applied to aconventional structure of this class. 1

The main drive-shaft is represented at 10 and a portion of the drivenshaft at 27, the latter coupled'by gears 36 and 35 and differential gear34 to the axle of a vehicle. The shafts. 10 and 27 are arranged inlongitudinal alinement, with their inner ends spaced apart, thejshaft 10mounted for rotation in an inclosing casing 15 and the shaft 27 mountedfor rotation in a standard 28, rising from the floor or lower side ofthe casing. Disposed between the inner ends of the-shaft members 10 and27 are two intermediate shaftsections 13 and 17,; the outer end of thesection 13 bearing against the inner end of the drive-shaft 10 and theouterend of the shaft-sectionl'l bearing against the driven shaft 27while the adjacent ends of the shaft-sections 13 17 bear against eachother. The inner ends of the drive-shaft 10 and driven shaft 27 areprovided with studs (indicated, respectively, at 50 51) a for enteringcorresponding sockets in the intermediate shaft-sections 13 17, whileasimilar stud 53 on the shaft-section 13 enters a socket in theshaft-section 17. The shaft-section 13 is further supported'by astandard 14:,

rising from the floo'r of the casing 15, while the shaft-section 17 issupported by a like standard 18, as shown. By this simple arrangementthe main drivingeshaft, the driven shaft, and the two-part intermediateshaft aredis- I IIO posed in longitudinal alinement and end to end andmutually supported in position, while at the same time independentlyrotative.

The drive-shaft 10 is provided with a clutch member 11, while the drivenshaft 27 is provided with a similar clutch member 29, which ispreferably integral with the gear 36. The intermediate shaft-section 13is provided with a slidable clutch member 12, eoaeting with the clutchmember 11 on the shaft 10, and a simi-' ing 18 and is provided upon thisoverhanging portion with a clutch member 25, slidable upon the shaft andheld from turning thereon by a feather or spline 26. An opposing clutchmember 29 is attached to the shaft-section 27 for operation against theclutch member 25, the member 25 held in operative engagement with themember 29 by a spring 30 and operated by a shifter-arm 31, pivoted at 32to the shifter-lever 22, the pivot 23 of the latter being locatedintermediate the ends of the lever, so that when the lever is actuatedthe two clutch members 12 and 25 will be simultaneously opened andclosed, as will be obvious. By this arrangement when the shifter-lever22 is released the springs 20 and 30 will hold their respective clutchmembers 12 25 in engagement with the opposing clutch members 11 and 29,so that the-motion of the main drive-shaft 10 will be transmitted to thedrive-axle, and then when the shifter-lever 22 is operated the twoclutches will be simultaneously released and disconnect the portions ofthe apparatus between the driving-shaft and driven shaft.

The shaft-section 17 is square for a portion of its length, as shown,and slidable upon this square portion is a sleeve 37, having an internalgear 38 at one end for engaging over the pinion 16 and with a largergear 39 at the other end, the gear member 38 also having externalgear-teeth, as at 49. The sleeve 37 is provided with a flange 40, withwhich a shifterlever 41 engages, so that when the shifter-lever isactuated the sleeve will be moved longitudinally of the shaft. Mountedfor rotation in bearings 42 43, rising from the casing 15, is acounter-shaft 44, carrying gears 45, 46, and 47 of different diameters,the larger gear 47 for constant engagement with the pinion 16, thelatter having a face wide enough to receive both the gears 38 and 47 atthe same time, as shown. The gear 39 is adapted to engage the gear 45when the sleeve 37 is moved to one end of its path, while the gearteeth49 are adapted to engage the gear 46 when thesleeve is moved to anintermediate point. Thus when the sleeve is at one end of its path thegear 38 will engage the gear 16 and couple the drive-shaft 10 direct tothe driven shaft and its connections and operate the same at one speed,and then when the sleeve is moved to cause the gear-teeth 49 to engagethe gear-wheel 46 the speed will be decreased to a degree equal to thedifference is size between the gears 49 and 46, and then when the sleeveis adjusted to engage the gears 39 and 45 a still slower speed will betransmitted to the driven shaft, as will be understood.

As before stated, in devices of this character as heretofore constructedwhen the ordinary clutch is released the momentum of the drive axlecontinues the revolution of the speed-changer mechanism, and any attemptto operate the speed-changer mechanism while this motion continues isliable to break the parts. With the introduction of the clutch members25 29, however, and arranging for actuating the same simultaneouslywiththe clutch members 11 12 the speed changer mechanism is thrown out ofgear with both the power-transmission shaft and the drivingaxle gear andremains motionless while the speed is being changed, so that no dangerexists of the breakage of the parts when the changes are made.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a deviceof the class described, a driving-shaft and adriven shaft spaced apartand arranged in longitudinal alinement, an intermediate mechanismincluding two shafts mounted for independent rotation and disposed inlongitudinal alinement with said driving-shaft and driven shaft, meansfor connecting and disconnecting said intermediate shafts, a clutchelement between said driving-shaft and one of said intermediate shafts,a clutch element between said driven shaft and the other of saidintermediate shafts, and speedchanging mechanism associated with saidintermediate shafts.

2. In a device of the class described, a driving-shaft, a driven shaft,an intermediate mechanism including two shafts mounted for independentrotation, a gear upon one of said intermediate shafts, a sleeve slidableupon the other of said intermediate shafts and provided with an internalgear for engagement with and disengagement from said shaft-gear, aclutch element between said driving-shaft and one of said intermediateshafts, a clutch element between said driven shaft and the other of saidintermediate shafts, and speed-changing mechanism associated with thegearing upon said intermediate shafts.

3. In a device of the class described, a drivingshaft, a driven shaft,an intermediate mechanism including two shafts mounted for independentrotation, a gear upon one of said intermediate shafts, a sleeve slidableupon the other of said intermediate shafts and having spaced externalgears and with an internal gear for engagement with and disengagementfrom said shaft -gear, a clutch element between said driving-shaft andone of said intermediateshafts, aclutch element between said drivenshaft and the other of saidv intermediate shafts,. and speed-changingmechanism associated with the external gears of said sleeve.

4. In a device of the class described, a driviingshaft, a driven shaft,an intermediate mechanism including-two shafts mounted for independentrotation, a. clutch element b'e-' tween said driving-shaft and one ofsaid inter.-

mediate shafts, a clutch element between said driven shaft and the otherof said intermediate shafts, a gear upon one'of said intermediateshafts, a sleeve slidable upon the other of said intermediate shafts andhaving spaced external gears and with an internal gear for engagementwith and disengagement from said shaft-gear,-a counter-shaft, a gearcarried by said counter-shaft "and in constant engagement with theshaft-gear, and spaced-gears upon said counter-shaft 'for engagementwith and disengagement from the external gears of said sleeve.

5. in a device of the class described, a driving-shaft, a driven shaft,twointermediate shafts arranged end to end between said-driving-shaftand. driven shaft, spaced bearings respectively supporting saidintermediate shafts, a clutch member carried by said driving-shaft, anopposingclutchmember slidable upon one of said intermediate shafts forengagement with the clutch member of said driving-shaft, aspring-bearing between said slidable clutch member and the adjacentshaftbearing, a clutch vmember carried by said "and the adjacentshaft-bearing, means for simultaneousl'y operating said slidable clutchmembers, and speed-changing mechanism associated with said intermediateshafts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in thepresence of two witnesses;

, CHARLES E. BERTELS. Witnesses:

N ELLIE MURPHY, W. .O. ZIEGRUFUS.

